For the women who are still here
Every year, International Women’s Day arrives with a sudden burst of activity.
Panel events. Social media posts celebrating “the incredible women in our organisation.” Statements about commitment to equality.
All very worthy, and certainly well-intentioned.
And yet, if we’re honest, many women are wondering the same thing:
What happens on the other 364 days of the year?
If this week feels hard, you’re not alone
Happy new year!
Who am I kidding? Let’s be real – no one is feeling happy this week.
It’s the first full working week after the holidays.
For many of us, Christmas and New Year are a strange mix of stress and relief. We spend weeks rushing to get everything done, and then just as we start to relax, enjoying the lie ins, good food and drink, and switching off a little – SNAP! It’s suddenly over.
What I Wish I’d Known When I Started Out
A couple of weeks ago, I asked this question on LinkedIn:
“If you’re a senior female lawyer, can you let me know:
What is the one thing you wished you’d known earlier in your career?”
I received replies from many women across various roles and firms, and I am enormously grateful to those of you who took the time to reply. I have kept the replies anonymous as promised.
I have added my own thoughts at the end of the blog.
Just Say No!
In Female Lawyers’ Club last week, we were chatting about saying no to things, and how difficult we found it. I talk about saying no a lot but this doesn’t make it any easier for me to do it!
Case in point. I’d been contacted a couple of weeks ago by a colleague who asked if I could speak at an event in Leeds, as an employment colleague had dropped out. I really wanted to help my colleague out, but it would have been a nightmare.
A Huge Lesson I Learned at an Airport
I was taught the importance of kindness many years ago on a trip to Barcelona. My husband and I were queuing up to go through security. We were stood directly behind a family of four: mum, dad and two teenage kids. The dad seemed extremely stressed.
When one of the man's sons went through the scanner, he started bucking and shrieking. He was over 6 feet tall and it was alarming to watch. His dad did his best to restrain him and calm him down so they could get through.
And then it hit me: the man's son was autistic. The dad had done this before and knew what was coming; that’s why he’d been so stressed.